December 31, 2012

Almosting It: Hey, it worked for Little Walter! (and me)

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IT’S NEW YEARS DAY and I know a bunch of you are struggling already to keep those resolutions.

Here’s my advice: Be happy if you’re “almosting it,” which I explained in Monday’s column. For me, adopting that strategy has meant that I have tackled some new things that I wouldn’t have otherwise, without worrying about being perfect.

For example, all my life, I’ve been pretty helpless musically. Whenever I go to church, the hymnal seems to fall open to “How Can I Keep From Singing.” But when my son was a Cub Scout, one of their projects was to learn a song on a musical instrument, and that happened to be the month I chose to help with the program. I’ve always loved the idea of the harmonica, and resolved that I would learn how to play something like Red River Valley so I could help the Cubs earn their badge that month.

At the time, I had a long daily commute and a broken radio in the car, so I was able to practice every day. (Hey, it couldn’t be any more dangerous than texting!) And before long, I was tooting out some recognizable tunes, good enough for fun around the campfire.

My real goal, truth be told, is to play the blues like Little Walter.

Here’s a true story: Marion “Little” Walter Jacobs (1930-1968) dropped out of school at age 12 and roamed through the country dreaming of becoming a guitarist. Today, we would call him homeless—a street kid. He wasn’t that good with a guitar but he kept trying. He focused on his harmonica—but that instrument didn’t have a chance against the big amps at R&B shows. As he kept experimenting, he hit on one innovation: cupping a microphone and playing right into it. But, he still wasn’t the standout we celebrate today. He kept almosting it. Finally, he hit on his second innovation: maxing out his amp—even beyond the normal settings—until he was blowing sounds no one had heard before.

Of course I know that I’ll never rival such a giant—and that’s my point. I don’t need to reach Little Walter’s fame. I’m satisfied with my own versions of Shenandoah and Danny Boy. And this week, maybe I’ll see if I can pick out Auld Lang Syne.